Thinking of investing in a plastic card printer? Need to print your own ID cards when new staff or students join your organisation, or want to be able to print your own membership cards during the year?
Whatever you need it for, ask yourself these key questions before you choose a system:
weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of the different systems. Broadly speaking, you can split plastic card printers into those suitable for low, medium and high volume users. Some can only print single sided, others are capable of printing high volumes of double sided cards at speed. The capability is reflected in the prices, as you would expect.
Choose the system that can do the job you need it to do
If you’re looking for a photo ID system, your cards can do much more than just help with the identification of your employees. For example, ID cards can be encoded to restrict access to rooms, buildings or car parks. They can be used for controlling access to equipment such as computers or copiers. You can even use ID cards as employee loyalty cards or library cards for schools. They can be used for phone cards, for tracking time and attendance, or for regulating admission to sporting events, theme parks, resorts, clubs, and much more.
In order to exploit these capabilities, you’ll need a plastic card printer with built-in encoding capabilities, like the Evolis Zenius Expert Card printer that comes complete with the necessary software. This is a scalable solution that can develop as you need it to.
Security features explained
You can print your plastic cards utilising the following features:
Magnetic Stripes
Magnetic stripes can be encoded with information about access privileges, membership status and employment history. You can even load cash for vending machine use. Magnetic stripe data is updatable over time. 
Bar Codes and Signature strips
Bar codes and bar code readers can automate many processes. Bar code technology adds convenience and speed to point-of-sale and inventory management transactions. For even greater security, select a system that adds a digital signature to your card.
Custom Transparent Images
With certain plastic card printers, you can print a custom transparent image (logo, symbol or text) directly onto cards using the clear overlay panel of your print ribbon. Once printed, this image appears only when viewed at an angle or under ultraviolet lighting.
Oversized Cards
Some printers can print on cards that are larger than standard credit card size. Oversized cards can hold an oversized photograph and large graphics, making verification even easier.
Over-laminates
Over-laminates bond to the surface of a card, protecting data from being altered. They also significantly extend the life of the card.
Holographic Over-laminates
An over-laminate containing a “generic” or stock holographic image protects a card from wear & tear, and discourages card tampering or forgery. Creating your organisation’s own custom holographic design ensures that your card is truly unique. Custom holograms are extremely difficult and cost-prohibitive for counterfeiters to recreate.
The answers to the original questions at the start of this article will help you determine how many of these features you need to incorporate onto your cards, if any.
Think ahead
Even if you only plan to use your ID cards for visual identification, think about the future. You may not have the need for a plastic card printer with encoding abilities right now, but you might next year, and you won’t want to invest in a new printer so soon.
If you’re looking to replace your current plastic card printer, there may be deals available to trade it in for a new one.